Evidence Matters: Summer/Fall 2020

October 29, 2020  

Evidence Matters: Summer/Fall 2020

The Summer/Fall 2020 issue of Evidence Matters: Transforming Knowledge into Housing and Community Development Policy, which focuses on strategies to support homeowners and renters during disruptions such as the ongoing pandemic, is now available. The issue examines efforts undertaken by the federal government; assesses the role of the Federal Housing Administration in times of crisis in light of the agency’s history during past downturns; and reviews examples of state moratoria that are supporting households experiencing financial hardship.

Key Findings:

• Federal interventions to supplement income for those unemployed and underemployed; prevent evictions and foreclosures; fund housing assistance; and provide liquidity to financial markets have largely kept people housed and kept the housing finance system functioning well.

• During the Great Recession, the Federal Housing Administration helped stimulate mortgage lending by providing access to credit to households underserved by the conventional mortgage market; the FHA has taken steps to ensure similar mortgage credit availability during the current downturn.

• Rental and mortgage relief, suspended eviction processes, and protection from utility shutoffs are some ways that states have sought to stabilize housing for vulnerable residents whose finances have been disrupted by the novel coronavirus.

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